Gray Gaulding, 13, finds a home at NASCAR's mecca

Monday

Mar 14, 2011 at 12:01 AMSep 10, 2014 at 10:03 AM

The definition of mecca is a place that attracts many visitors.New York is the mecca of basketball and Charlotte, N.C., is the mecca for NASCAR, its center.Over the past four years, Colonial Heights native Gray Gaulding has become part of that mecca, t

The definition of mecca is a place that attracts many visitors.

New York is the mecca of basketball and Charlotte, N.C., is the mecca for NASCAR, its center.

Over the past four years, Colonial Heights native Gray Gaulding has become part of that mecca, the grand stage in race-car driving.

At age 13, Gaulding has taken his charismatic and hard working attitude to the ultimate top.

So much so that NASCAR SprintCup driver Kevin Harvick, of Kevin Harvick Inc., signed Gaulding to a multi-year contract as the first participant in the establishment of Harvick's young driver development program.

Through a partnership with Robert Hamke, Gaulding will compete in the southern division of the Pro All-Stars Series (PASS) South Super Late Model Touring Series.

"This opportunity is just unbelievable. It is just a privilege, a dream come true," Gaulding said. "I am so happy that Mr. Harvick gave me this huge chance. We just started running go-karts at his house one day and after that he came and approached us about being a part of his team."

Gaulding is quick to mention how much his family has dedicated to his desire to be in racing.

"I love my family so much, they have sacrificed so much for me. It's truly been one of the best things in my life, moving to Charlotte," Gaulding said. "Every race team, race driver is down here and for them to do that for me means a whole lot."

Gray's father Dwayne Gaulding wanted to make sure that it was right with the entire family, including his wife and two young daughters.

"Gray is a very humble person and we wanted to give him the best opportunity in moving to Charlotte. But we had to make sure it was the right move for all of us," said Dwayne Gaulding. "So when we were down in Charlotte for one of Gray's races we found a dance studio that my two girls loved and they went from sad to happy in moving to Charlotte."

With the move being a go, the Gaulding family has not looked back, giving Gray every opportunity possible.

"I believe that in order to have a good family you have to have a good marriage and that is what my wife and I have tried to do. We want success for all of our kids and to be happy," Dwayne Gaulding said. "Being all on the same track has been key."

Since the move, Gray Gaulding has made a few adjustments so that he can dedicate as much time and effort into racing.

One of those changes is being home-schooled.

"It was tough leaving my friends and to not be around my teachers that I loved so much, but with being homeschooled now, I can really get ahead in my work so that I can race and work on cars," Gaulding said. "It's just made my daily routine so much better."

Another change has been getting to know his ride and not just racing the car. Gaulding has improved his knowledge for how a car runs, its engine, its horsepower and how he can fix the car.

"When I was younger I really didn't know a lot about the car I was driving. But now as I've gotten older I know what to do to make the car better and about driving ability," Gaulding said. "In the Legends car that I am driving now I know all about the tires and about their grips, as well as knowing not to overpower the car."

With that knowledge, Gaulding has gained a great deal of experience and knowledge of how the overall business is run.

Having his father along for every step, every decision is something that the young Gaulding enjoys the most.

"My family is [the] biggest part of my career and the biggest support of my career," Gaulding said. "I know that my family has brought me to this level of success. They've put me in the right direction."

Since the time that Gaulding wanted to fully pursue racing, Dwayne Gaulding made sure to align himself with the right people, among them Kevin Harvick and his partner, DeLana Harvick.

"It is a parent's dream to give your kids the best opportunity they can get. When people meet Gray they know he has a lot to offer and is appreciative," said Dwayne Gaulding. "We couldn't have picked a better set of owners in the Harvicks and Hendricks. They believe in racing and believe in Gray."

Over the past year, Gaulding was the youngest national champion, youngest winner in the Legends car, youngest track champion and youngest driver to make the Million Dollar Race. Out of 45 events, he won 16 starts that also included eight top-five finishes and 25 top-10 finishes.

"Sometimes when you wish upon a star, dreams do come true," Dwayne Gaulding said.

- Court Wills can be reached at cwills@progress-index.com.

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